editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Writer and commentator Frank Deford is the author of sixteen books. His latest novel, Bliss, Remembered , is a love story set at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and in World War II. Publishers Weekly calls it a "thought-provoking...and poignant story, utterly charming and enjoyable." Booklist says Bliss, Remembered is "beautifully written...elegantly constructed...writing that is genuinely inspiring." On radio, Deford may be heard as a commentator every Wednesday on NPR's Morning Edition and, on television, he is the senior correspondent on the HBO show RealSports With Bryant Gumbel . In magazines, he is Senior Contributing Writer at Sports Illustrated . Moreover, two of Deford's books — the novel Everybody's All-American and Alex: The Life Of A Child , his memoir about his daughter who died of cystic fibrosis — have been made into movies. Two of his original screenplays, Trading Hearts and Four Minutes , have also been filmed. As a journalist, Deford has been elected to the Hall of Fame ofNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Frank DefordFri, 09 Dec 2016 04:45:26 +0000Frank Defordhttp://kvpr.org
Frank DefordCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit DAVID GREENE, HOST: OK, let's stay in Texas now, where after two decades of futility, the Dallas Cowboys are back on top of the NFL. And commentator Frank Deford says, love them or hate them, this is a good thing. FRANK DEFORD, BYLINE: Admit it. Even though you may despise the Dallas Cowboys with every fiber of your being, you're glad to see them back as a powerhouse, aren't you now? No, the Cowboys were never America's team any more than Anthony Weiner was America's congressman. If there ever was an America's team, it would be itty-bitty, little Green Bay, stuck way up there somewhere owned by the salt-of-the-Earth citizens themselves. Instead, more than a team, the Cowboys have rather resembled a national provocative institution, like the American Civil Liberties Union or the National Rifle Association or the Academy Awards. But now - holy Roger Staubach - the Cowboys, who only won four games all of last season, have now won 11 in a row. And notAfter Years Of Mediocrity, The Dallas Cowboys Have The NFL's Best Recordhttp://kvpr.org/post/after-years-mediocrity-dallas-cowboys-have-nfls-best-record
71331 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 07 Dec 2016 12:26:00 +0000After Years Of Mediocrity, The Dallas Cowboys Have The NFL's Best RecordFrank DefordMuch as we talk about certain financial institutions that may be too big to fail, you can be absolutely certain that the one organization in the whole wide world that truly fits that definition is FIFA, the grubby behemoth that runs soccer. Too many international sports associations are rife with corruption, but the graft exposed at FIFA beggars the imagination. Americans, of course, have virtually no interest in FIFA, for most of us are athletic aliens, caring not a whit for Earth's game. Sorry, but I must count myself among those who do not find soccer as entertaining as our own favored sports. I've always thought it was perfectly idiotic to call an exercise that you perform with your feet "the beautiful game." Click the audio to hear more of what Frank Deford has to say about soccer. Copyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: OK, let's talk of a different kind of performance, on the soccer field. Commentator Frank Deford is not the biggest soccer fan. It is not nowSoccer, The Normal-Sized Player's Gamehttp://kvpr.org/post/soccer-normal-sized-players-game
58420 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 13 Jan 2016 09:40:00 +0000Soccer, The Normal-Sized Player's GameFrank DefordWe start 2016 with a command: that the subject of Pete Rose and the Hall of Fame is over, finis, kaput forever and ever. As sure as we will no longer discuss whether Lindsey Graham or George Pataki can be president. The new commissioner has been even more adamant in dismissing Rose's pleadings, so it doesn't matter how passionately you feel — it is a dead issue. There. But OK, now that we have that settled, there's bound to be more attention devoted to the candidacies of the accused steroid users. Should they get in the Hall of Fame? Especially among those who worship at the altar of statistics, there is the argument that, well, so many players were using that the cheaters just proved that they were better than the other cheaters. Of course, this still cheats all the players who didn't cheat, but since nobody knows the accurate steroid census, the argument persists. Click the audio to hear Frank Deford's take on this issue. Copyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Rose Is Banned From Baseball, But What About Accused Steroid Users?http://kvpr.org/post/rose-banned-baseball-what-about-accused-steroid-users
58161 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 06 Jan 2016 10:18:00 +0000Rose Is Banned From Baseball, But What About Accused Steroid Users?Frank Defordhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPcZo-f6Fhc It's an incident largely forgotten, but in 1964, the NBA — then a struggling fourth-string major league — finally got its All-Star Game on prime-time TV. The players refused to leave the locker room until the owners agreed to negotiate with their union. The All-Stars were prepared to strike on what was essentially the most important night in the league's history — and the essence of their own personal future. But they weren't bluffing. At almost the very last minute, yes, the owners caved, the game went on ABC, and the NBA headed into the big time. I was reminded of that the other day when the NBA, players and management together, dared start a campaign against gun carnage — emphasizing in television spots that guns are involved in the deaths of 88 Americans every day — and thereby effectively lining up against those, like the NRA, who fight stiffer firearm regulation. Click the audio to hear Frank Deford's take on this issue. Copyright 2015NBA Dares To Speak Out On Gun Violencehttp://kvpr.org/post/nba-makes-pass-gun-control-issues
57935 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 30 Dec 2015 09:35:00 +0000NBA Dares To Speak Out On Gun ViolenceFrank DefordCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit Transcript RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Yogi Berra died last night at the age of 90. In remembrance of his passing, let's go back 10 years and listen to a commentary Frank Deford delivered in honor of a man who was both a baseball legend and one of the game's truly great characters. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED BROADCAST) FRANK DEFORD, BYLINE: I suppose folks would say Muhammad Ali is the most famous living athlete in this country, or possibly Michael Jordan. But then when I saw a certain someone the other day, it occurred to me, you know, there may be another American sportsman who keeps coming back into our consciousness more than any other. Think about it when I say the name - Yogi Berra, right? Listen up, I've got nothing to say, so I'm only going to say it once. Yogi just recently had his 80th birthday. I want to thank you for making this day necessary. But he's part of our culture, isn't he, in ways that other great athletes never manage. Yogi remainsYogi Berra, The Ultimate In Athletic Americanahttp://kvpr.org/post/yogi-berra-ultimate-athletic-americana
54004 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 23 Sep 2015 12:18:00 +0000Yogi Berra, The Ultimate In Athletic AmericanaFrank DefordOn Wednesday, in honor of footballs that are inflated, we must discuss extra points. The NFL is monkeying around with the extra point again. You think it should? Do you have a better idea? Do we even need an extra point? Why do we have an extra point? Well, the extra point is vestigial, a leftover from the good old 19th century days when football had identity problems and couldn't decide whether or not it was rugby. Or something. At that point, in fact, what was sort of the extra point counted more than the touchdown itself. But when we leave the 19th century, we find that kicking the extra point has been an absolute piece of cake for many decades now. Earn some extra points and click on the audio to hear Frank Deford's take on this issue. Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit Transcript RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: If you prefer to sit back and watch a football game, you'll find when the new season starts next week that the NFL has made some scoring changes. Yep. And commentator FrankWhy Is There An Extra Point In Football, And Do We Need It?http://kvpr.org/post/why-there-extra-point-football-and-do-we-need-it
53117 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 02 Sep 2015 08:58:00 +0000Why Is There An Extra Point In Football, And Do We Need It?Frank DefordSome people wanna ban boxing. I just wanna ban boxing movies. You get the feeling sometimes that Hollywood still thinks Joe Louis is heavyweight champion and boxing is still top-tier popular? Yes, there's yet another boxing movie out, this one entitled Southpaw . Oh, please, please. Making boxing movies when boxing is so passé would be like if Hollywood kept making showbiz movies about vaudeville. Click the audio above t o hear Frank Deford's take on movies about boxing. Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit Transcript STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Commentator Frank Deford has been checking out the summer movies and doesn't like one of them. FRANK DEFORD, BYLINE: Some people want to ban boxing. I just want to ban boxing movies. You get the feeling sometimes that Hollywood still thinks Joe Louis is heavyweight champion and boxing is still top-tier popular. Yes, heaven help us, there's another boxing movie out. This one entitled "Southpaw" - oh, please. Making boxing movies when boxing is soDeford To Hollywood: Ban Boxing Movies http://kvpr.org/post/deford-hollywood-ban-boxing-movies
51731 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 29 Jul 2015 08:58:00 +0000Deford To Hollywood: Ban Boxing Movies Frank DefordIn the famous Disney movie, a carpenter named Geppetto longed to have a son. He carved a puppet of a boy, and, wouldn't you know it, the wooden Pinocchio magically became a real child. Fantasy games are the Pinocchio of sport, for all who play them become Geppettos. Isn't it the dream of every fan to construct his or her own team, as Geppetto wanted to carve out a son? Fantasy sports allows you to do that. You draft your own players for your make-believe team, and then you bet based on how your real players perform in real games. But then, we call that fantasy. According to federal law, it's legal for you to bet on your make-believe team when it plays other make-believe teams, but you cannot bet on real teams when they play other real teams. The rationale is that in selecting players for your team — let's say the San Francisco Giants — your analysis of baseball qualifies the activity as a game of skill. But you can't legally bet on the actual San Francisco Giants as an entity, evenFor Love Or Money: Fans And Businesses Flock To Fantasy Sports http://kvpr.org/post/love-or-money-fans-businesses-flock-fantasy-sports
51431 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 22 Jul 2015 08:57:00 +0000For Love Or Money: Fans And Businesses Flock To Fantasy Sports Frank DefordSport may be dismissed as inconsequential child's play, but there is, in counterpoint, the ideal that sport is our best model for human fairness and equality — a Garden of Eden with competition. But, of course, there are snakes in this athletic garden. Rules will be broken. To my mind there are, in ascending order, three kinds of transgressions. The first is the most simple: transgressions committed in the heat of the action, instinctively, because of frustration, failure or anger. There are referees to tend to that misconduct. The second type of violation falls more in the realm of regulation. For example, who is eligible to play? There are age restrictions in youth sport and academic requirements in college. Also, as with any civil enterprise, sport can deny entrance to the garden to anyone who misbehaves in the public sphere. For instance: Thou shalt not batter women or children . Alas, that is famously more honored in the breach. And then there is the third type: violations againstThe Other Sacred Thing Tom Brady Squashed: Sportsmanshiphttp://kvpr.org/post/other-sacred-thing-tom-brady-squashed-sportsmanship
48728 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 20 May 2015 07:29:00 +0000The Other Sacred Thing Tom Brady Squashed: SportsmanshipFrank DefordIt was long an article of faith among sport cognoscenti that nothing in athletics approached the sheer electric drama and glamour of a heavyweight championship fight. Well, if you missed it, they had one of those in no less a shrine than Madison Square Garden on Saturday. You could have watched it on plain old TV if you were not already analyzing the NFL draft, following the NBA or NHL playoffs or watching the baseball season unfold. Poor, ignored heavyweights. It may seem extraordinary to modern fans, but whenever a black man held the title in decades past, inevitably some people would conduct an artless, wishful search for the so-called Great White Hope. But a white man — Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, who easily defended his title on Saturday — has been the heavyweight champ for nine years now and nobody of any race seems to know him, let alone care that he is approaching American boxer Joe Louis' record as champ. Whereas the athletes in every other sport are getting bigger andBoxing Fans Shift Focus To Small Men, Big Moneyhttp://kvpr.org/post/boxing-fans-shift-focus-small-men-big-money
47818 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 29 Apr 2015 07:54:00 +0000Boxing Fans Shift Focus To Small Men, Big MoneyFrank DefordIn an interview airing Friday on ABC, Bruce Jenner is expected to announce that he is transgender, though he has made no such acknowledgment. As the public awaits his presumed revelations, Jenner is still invariably and glibly identified by his paternal connection to the Kardashian clan. It's presented almost anecdotally that he won the gold medal for the Olympic decathlon — the 10-event classic of track and field athleticism — in 1976. But back then, he was a glorified champion and called "the world's greatest athlete." Today, few people even know what the decathlon is, but I was with Jenner in Montreal that summer, writing about him when his new life began as the champion. Jenner knew that Olympic gold medalists had one brief chance at cashing in. So he carefully plotted his path as if he were to win the gold. That context can help us to understand how savvy he is in approaching what appears to be a second great upheaval in his life: his alleged transition to becoming a woman.Bruce Jenner's Long History Of Clearing Hurdleshttp://kvpr.org/post/bruce-jenners-long-history-clearing-hurdles
47507 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 22 Apr 2015 07:48:00 +0000Bruce Jenner's Long History Of Clearing HurdlesFrank DefordOnce again, the question of the NFL's pre-eminence — even existence — has been raised with the retirement of Chris Borland , a very good player, who has walked away from the game and millions of dollars at the age of 24 in order to preserve his health, or more specifically, his brain. As always in these well-publicized anti-football cases, observers pop up to note that the other mainstream sport identified with brain damage — boxing — has dramatically declined in popularity, and therefore is an antecedent to predict football's downfall. This common analysis is simple, but facile, because while individual sports and team sports are both athletics, they are as different, as, say, comedy club stand-ups are from huge Hollywood studios in the entertainment world. Besides boxing, all sorts of individual sports have seen their popularity wane, even die out. Been to a six-day bicycle race lately ? Even those individual sports that continue to thrive, like tennis and golf, are faddish,'Borland Effect' A Fumble For Football? Deford Says It Will Passhttp://kvpr.org/post/borland-effect-fumble-football-deford-says-it-will-pass
46266 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 25 Mar 2015 08:23:00 +0000'Borland Effect' A Fumble For Football? Deford Says It Will PassFrank DefordIt's the venerable custom in tennis and golf for the crowd to be still and quiet when players hit their shots. Now, since even ordinary baseball batters have some success hitting against 98 mph fastballs with 40,000 fans standing and screaming, do you really believe that great athletes like Novak Djokovic or Rory McIlroy couldn't serve or putt with a few thousand fans hollering? If they'd grown up playing tennis or golf that way, that is. When disorder is a sustaining part of the game, players, in effect, put it out of their minds. Hear no evil, see no evil. Notwithstanding, for almost as long as college student-athletes have been shooting free throws, college student-clowns have been trying to divert the opponent shooter's attention by wailing like banshees and generally acting like human bobblehead dolls. But like with the baseball batter: so what? For the guy at the free-throw line focusing on the basket, it might as well be the still silence of Centre Court at Wimbledon. It is theNews From The Charity Stripehttp://kvpr.org/post/news-charity-stripe
45979 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 18 Mar 2015 07:09:00 +0000News From The Charity StripeFrank DefordOK, after an eight-year investigation, the NCAA hit Syracuse University and its basketball coach, Jim Boeheim, with all sorts of penalties for academic and recruiting violations. Normally in sports media, nobody is particularly surprised whenever any coach is caught, so a great deal of speculation was then diverted to how this might affect Boeheim's "legacy." We are legacy crazy in college sports, anxious to honor coaches with umblemished legacies — the ones who didn't get caught by the crack NCAA undercover gendarmes. Eight years to nab a big-time college program, when any sentient human being knows that virtually every hotshot Division I program in the country is up to some academic handholding. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that the Inspector Clouseaus at the NCAA are presently investigating 20 athletic departments for academic malfeasance. I'm sure it could be 20 times 20. Athletes who are not even remotely prepared for college are recruited, and then the necessaryDeford: NCAA Fans Continue To Drink Deeply Of The (Sports) Spiritshttp://kvpr.org/post/deford-ncaa-fans-continue-drink-deeply-sports-spirits
45690 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 11 Mar 2015 07:35:00 +0000Deford: NCAA Fans Continue To Drink Deeply Of The (Sports) SpiritsFrank DefordSeveral years ago, I wrote a sports Christmas story. It was about a greedy basketball superstar who, imbued with Yuletide cheer, helps save his small-market franchise. A big-time producer wanted to make a TV movie out of it. So off I went to Hollywood to turn my story into a script and thereby, in keeping with the Christmas spirit, make a killing. Let me tell you: It's hard to write a Christmas story about sport. After all, the idea of sports is to beat the other fellow, while the idea of Christmas is to be giving. That's a pretty direct conflict, hard to reconcile. Of course, there is the famous, true Christmas sports story that took place exactly a century ago, when, on the front lines of the Great War, German and British troops managed an unofficial truce and played soccer against each other there in no man's land, on Christmas of 1914. It's a lovely vision. But of course, within a day or two, the friendly football boys were back in their trenches, back to killing one other. As IDeford: It's Hard To Write A Christmas Story About Sporthttp://kvpr.org/post/deford-its-hard-write-christmas-story-about-sport
42395 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 24 Dec 2014 08:24:00 +0000Deford: It's Hard To Write A Christmas Story About SportFrank DefordHas there ever been a team in any sport in the United States that everybody loves as much as the San Antonio Spurs? Sure, there have been popular teams — the Yankees, the Dodgers, the Cowboys when they were America's team and not Jerry Jones' team, Notre Dame — but all those teams engendered almost as much hate as love. But everybody loves the Spurs. You love the Spurs. I love the Spurs. Have you ever heard anyone criticize the Spurs? No! The good feeling about our Spurs — and, yes, they are our Spurs — is because they are certified to do everything right. The players are all gentlemen. They are never selfish. They play like a team. They win. Our Spurs are not greedy. They are nonpartisan. If only our Spurs were Congress. They pass the ball and play defense. Click on the audio link above to hear Deford's take on the issue. Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Be Thankful This Year For The San Antonio Spurshttp://kvpr.org/post/be-thankful-year-san-antonio-spurs
41237 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 26 Nov 2014 09:15:00 +0000Be Thankful This Year For The San Antonio SpursFrank DefordWe so regularly excuse the chicanery of sport. We fans suspect that our team is just as guilty as whatever ooze bubbles to the surface elsewhere, so let it go lest we be the next one caught. For us privileged to actually be down in the rabbit hole, the sins have been so present for so long, they simply become accepted as a benign part of the landscape. Hey, it's all just fun and games, so go along, be a — well, be a good sport. Only, every now and then ... Every now and then the evils are just so gross that you have to blink open the blind eye. Sorry. Such was the past week. Click on the audio link above to hear Deford's take on the issue. Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit Transcript STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: And now we go to our commentator Frank Deford, who says he would like to see some recalls in the sporting world. FRANK DEFORD, BYLINE: We so regularly excuse the chicanery of sport. We fans suspect that our team is just as guilty as whatever ooze bubbles to the surface elsewhere.Outside Of The Games, Are Sports Corrupt?http://kvpr.org/post/outside-games-are-sports-corrupt
40957 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 19 Nov 2014 08:49:00 +0000Outside Of The Games, Are Sports Corrupt?Frank DefordEvery election suggests change, so given all the scandals involving football, now's an appropriate time to envision what reforms might be forced upon the sport. Well, I'll tell you: It's tough to mess with football. Now, to begin with, from hindsight, it was probably misleading to call baseball "the national pastime." The claim was, essentially, based almost entirely on the fact that baseball was the only team sport that boasted a professional presence. The World Series was our World Cup and the Olympics rolled into one. But really, below that top level, football always ruled our hearts. Unlike elsewhere, sport in America grew up as an adjunct to the classroom. Yes, there were the famous three R's –– 'readin, 'riting and 'rithmetic –– but the fourth R was rivalry. Beating the other school, the other college. In a few areas, most famously Indiana, basketball became the identifying school sport, but most everywhere it was football –– shown most vividly in Buzz Bissinger's AmericanaAmericana: Hot Dogs, Apple Pie And Football?http://kvpr.org/post/americana-hot-dogs-apple-pie-and-football
40367 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 05 Nov 2014 08:32:00 +0000Americana: Hot Dogs, Apple Pie And Football?Frank DefordThat familiar old preface we so often hear — usually from long-winded people — is: "To make a long story short." I've noticed lately that that expression has become more common, but, to make a long story short, it's been shortened to just "long story short." I'll even bet it's gotten initialed in the text universe to LSS. Well, long story short, last year I was astonished to discover that guileless fans were actually volunteering their services, for free, gratis, to the Super Bowl — which, of course, makes a gazillion million dollars for the NFL and its gracious owners. Now, incredibly, the NFL is looking for 10,000 volunteers to donate their time and effort to this season's Super Bowl in Arizona. Of course, I want you to keep in mind that the NFL is officially a nonprofit , even though commissioner Roger Goodell makes in excess of $40 million a year. (Lord knows what they'd pay him if he actually was doing a good job.) Of all the great, needy charities in the world, desperate forNonprofit NFL Seeks Super Bowl Volunteers, Againhttp://kvpr.org/post/nonprofit-nfl-seeks-super-bowl-volunteers-again
39538 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 15 Oct 2014 07:39:00 +0000Nonprofit NFL Seeks Super Bowl Volunteers, AgainFrank DefordThere's been much criticism of the president lately, even within his own party, that he's too detached and withdrawn, not combative enough anymore. This can be explained completely with a sports analogy: We elected a basketball president, but then we ended up with a golf president. Golf is an internal game. Nobody is playing against you. Nobody is guarding you. Basketball, on the other hand — basketball is in your face, one-on-one, combative to its core. Obama actually had a court built in the White House. And remember all the pictures a few years ago of the president playing hoops, going all out? Why, even after he became the most powerful man in the world, he suffered a split lip in a game that required a dozen stitches. Basketball is about slashing, dunking, crashing the boards. What is the one basketball term that most delineates the game? "No harm, no foul." Meaning: Challenge the limits, check, poke, use just enough strategic contact. That's how the man got to the White House.Golf May Be Too Polite A Sport For Presidential Politicshttp://kvpr.org/post/golf-may-be-too-polite-sport-presidential-politics
37636 as http://kvpr.orgWed, 27 Aug 2014 07:33:00 +0000Golf May Be Too Polite A Sport For Presidential Politics